It's Both
by Kazima Kuwabara
Summary: Kyuubi got free. People died to stop him...but he was indeed stopped. But...What is left of the boy he lived in? Naruto's last moments, as well as how everyone is doing around him. this can be taken as having Yaoi or not.


First story for Naruto…don't kill me! After this I promise to return to my yu yu hakusho-sim! I own nothing!! You can take the way people are acting as slightly shonen ai hints or not.

1234

_It's so loud._

_No it's quiet. _

_No it's both. _

_Yes, it's both._

_How did it become both? This is confusing. I'm not a deep person. I eat ramen, I fart, I burp, and I get on everyone's nerves. Well…not all the time sometimes I'm not so bad…sometimes I'm okay…I think. _

…

_It is __**so**__ loud._

"Kakashi is he alright?" Iruka grabbed the silver haired man and threw him against the wall. Iruka's hair was down and messy, his eye flashing angrily. He felt a hand touch his shoulder and heard Gai's voice, "Iruka! Calm down-" Iruka turned towards the man a tanned digit stuck in his face. Gai blinked, and stared into Iruka's eyes seeing the tears that streamed down his face. Gai blinked, let out a small sound, bowed his head and took a step back.

Iruka looked accusingly around at the others within this bland hall, and finally let his eyes come back to the man that he had pinned to the wall.

"Kakashi," Iruka hissed voice shaking, "Why did you not come get me when he first came back? Why did you not tell me about this?"

"He asked us not to."

Iruka turned around to find the location of the soft voice. He scanned the faces and finally Shikamaru appeared, Chouji leaning heavily against him. Shikamaru's eyes were stained red, and his eyes were puffy. It was obvious that the young man had been crying. Chouji looked calm as he used Shikamaru for support, and Iruka finally searched for the reason as to why Chouji could not stand on his own.

Iruka closed his mouth and tugged at his dark brown hair that had become sprinkled with gray in the turning of the years. "Chouji," He whispered the young teen's name, "Your leg…" Iruka's dark eyes stared at Chouji's left leg, or at least where that leg should be. Chouji eventually glanced down and casually whispered, "Kyuubi got it. Snatched it off," Chouji paused and let his eyes stare piercingly into Iruka's, "When Naruto came back his seal was breaking, and something was hurting him, and he knew he's break soon. So he asked us…before "it" happened not to get you. He wanted your memory of him to be as you've always seen him…and not…" Chouji paused and smiled towards Shikamaru, "I must be troublesome, why don't you set me down somewhere? Besides my injury is starting to bother me now…"

Shikamaru nodded, "I'll take you back to your room."

Shikamaru turned, the crowded hall parting to allow them to pass.

Iruka watched as the pair walked off, and disappeared quickly down the hall when he felt arms wrap around him. Kakashi held the shorter man tight, "Iruka…you would have been so proud…Kyuubi got out…and it took a while but Naruto finished him. He stopped him for good…he saved the villige…he saved many lives. He's in the next room…you want to see him?" Kakashi's voice though soft, filled the whole hall and cracked the tense air around the large group like glass.

_I think I'm in pain…not sure really. Hmm…death?_

_It's just occurred to me…am I dying._

_Maybe I'm dead already. At least I made it…I was Hokage for a full three months…and then…what happened to me?_

_Hmm…_

_Oh yeah…I was kidnapped…but I saw him again. And I got him to bring me home…and he said he'd stay. He said…Sasuke said he would stay…and wouldn't leave anymore._

_Heh._

_I wasn't even mad when he called me 'dobe.' Just like when we were kids…_

When Sakura exited the room she was met with Iruka's distraught face. She glanced at him and realized he had been about to enter. "No…you can't come in now. He's not doing well. These injuries…are not doing well. I'm sorry Iruka-sens…Iruka-san but you can't go in there." She closed the door behind her and pressed her forehead to the door, "Not even I can go in there!"

A heavy silence filled the room, and it was Gaara who spoke up, "What of the others? The others who were also fighting? Chouji lost a leg…what about the others. Shino, Hinata, TenTen, Ino, Sai…they were all thrown back by Kyuubi and Lee-" Gaara swallowed and clenched his fist, "What about Lee?"

Sakura looked at the faces of her friends, "Naruto protected them all. They are in bad condition…Shino, Hinata, Ino…but they're alive. Sai did lose an eye, but he seems to be taking it well, and will probably figure out a way to sneak down here anyway…But as you know…Chouji can never fight again…he's done."

Those words seemed the coldest to hear, and the silence grew painful, and then she whispered, "Lee has not woken up. He is fine…amazingly so. But he has always been amazing huh?" She looked over at Gai, who quietly listen to her speak. He glanced over at Neji who placed a hand on Gai's shoulder, giving his old answer an uncommonly kind look. Sakura braced herself for what she would have to say next, for the words that wanted to stay lodged in her throat. She waited for both Neji and Gai to look at her before she gave her last grim announcement.

"TenTen…did not make it. She died."

Gai collapsed to the floor, and Neji tried to help pick his old master up. She has been his student, and this was hard. It was always hard to let go of your students when they grew up and came into their own, but it was almost impossible when they died before you. "Lee passed out before knowing his teammate's death didn't he?" Gai wearily asked, and Sakura confirmed hollowly, "Yes he did."

"Lee will be broken when he wakes up."

Someone burst our of the room where Naruto was, "He's taken a turn for the worse, Sakura-san what do we do?"

"You save him!" A voice snarled.

All eyes fell on Sasuke, who painfully appeared out of a second hall. A nurse was trying to grab him, and pull him back but he glared at her evilly and she looked to Saukra for help. Sasuke had finally returned…Naruto had finally brought him back. Sasuke growled angrily, and slammed a fist on the wall, surprising the people with tears, "You save him! You don't let him die! YOU DON'T LET NARUTO DIE!!"

_Something inside of me feels like crying…_

_Maybe because it's so loudly quiet._

_And through this I can suddenly seem to understand that this is what I used to have to be around before I made friends. This is the description, the sound, this is the feeling of loneliness…It took such a long time to get rid of it, and now it's back._

_Why? Why…I just…_

_I don't understand._

_I hope someone learns something from this. I hope there is some lessoned that's understood in the words of silence, and death. I hope there is something appreciated. Maybe no one will judge people like me wrong again…maybe._

_I wish I had someone to hold my hand now…or someone that would meet me._

_Where am I going now?_

_What am I going to do now?_

"Chouji what are you going to do now?" Shikamaru questioned dully helping his friend get back in bed. Chouji looked over at his best friend, and smiled, "I don't know…I can't fight anymore…I can't go on missions at all can I?" Chouji shifted his eyes frome his best friend's face to the ceiling, "Maybe after some rest I'll open up a restaurant…Nah I'd eat everything I made-"

"Come live with me Chouji."

Chouji was shocked into silence and let his eyes stare at Shikamaru who was looking at him intently. "Let me take care of you for awhile…until you know what to do. Stay with me. I get bored anyways…and you can cook for me. You know how badly my cooking is."

Chouji suddenly smiled, "I'd be too troublesome wouldn't I Shika-"

Shikamaru took Chouji's hand and pressed it to his brow whispering desperately, "No you wouldn't! I-I don't want to lose you. You wouldn't be troublesome at all!" Chouji blinked watching Shikamaru's shaking shoulders and sat up, pulling his friend in a tight embrace. "I'm glad," Chouji whispered, "That you want me to stay…now that I don't have a leg…I wondered where that would leave us. What would happen if I wasn't able to go on missions with you anymore. That you might forget me."

Shikamaru held his dearest friend close, "Don't be an idiot."

_I can feel my heart beat. It's slowing… it's going to stop. Iruka-sensei…father…I want you here by my side. But I… _

_I want someone else too…Sasuke…I just got you home and I don't know where you are._

_I want them here…_

**_I NEED THEM HERE BEFORE I GO!_**

_How do I send these thoughts out! How do I reach them._

Iruka from the bend without warning, "Naruto needs me there. I know he does. Get out of my way," Iruka whispered pushing past Sakura who was standing in front of the door. Kakashi rose to stop Iruka, but Sasuke who had followed Iruka's lead pushed past Kakashi so the two could both get inside the room.

The room that held Naruto.

They saw him lying in his bed, everything was bloody and cracked. He was missing a good chunk of his side, and his left arm from the shoulder down. Bones were broken, and bruises stood out on his once health tanned skin, which had now turned gray. Those working on Naruto turned surprised, and were not even aware when Naruto opened his eyes. His blue eyes, slowly slipping into darkness looked at the two most important men in his life.

"Ir…Iruka-sensei…" Naruto whispered coughing, "Iru…Iru…Father…"

Iruka pushed past the doctors, and placed his arms around Naruto's neck smoothing back the bloody blonde strands from his face. Iruka pulled away and smiled at Naruto, who gave a weary one back. Naruto turned his gaze to Sasuke and held out his good hand. Sasuke, who was still close to the door, took several steps closer and took his best friend's hand. He held it gently, and the two shared a moment that did not need words. He pressed Naruto's cold fingers to his lips, tears slipping down his cheeks.

"So you became a Hokage finally?"

"Yes, and w-what…ha…have you do…do…done…looser?"

"Usuratonkahi…" Sasuke hissed the familiar insult, and Naruto smiled one last time at Sasuke, and then one last time at Naruto. Before another word could be uttered Naruto's frame sunk into the bed and pillows. Without so much as a good-bye, or even a proper warning, he had died and slipped on from this life.

_It's over…everything I've done is over._

_I'm done._

_I've never felt this feeling before. I'm so satisfied. Wow…it's kind of nice. Hmm…such a nice satisfying feeling…I don't think I've ever felt this happy._

_Yes, I'm happy…_

_And I'm sad._

_No…_

_It's both._

END

So…uh…bad? Good? Stick to yu yu hakusho? do tell me.


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